According to a report from The South China Morning Post, China did not return calls from US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin because he asked for the wrong official.
Last week, US officials told Reuters that Austin made three failed attempts to speak with Xu Qiliang, the vice-chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, who is seen as a close confidant of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Sources told the Post that Austin should have requested to speak with Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe.
“Both Xu and Wei report to Xi, but in diplomatic protocol, Austin’s counterpart is Wei,” the source told the Post. “The Pentagon realized this when [Austin’s predecessors] Mark Esper and James Mattis were in office.” In August 2020, then-Secretary of Defense Mark Esper spoke with Wei by phone.
There were apparently debates within the Biden administration over which official Austin should try to speak with, and they ultimately picked the wrong one. Still, if US-China relations weren’t so strained, the confusion could have easily been cleared up.
China also has reasons to be hesitant to engage with Austin. His Pentagon recently identified China as the top “pacing threat” facing the US military, and the Biden administration is rallying allies to counter Beijing in Asia.
He’s a dim witted puppet. Affirmative action all the way.
Should have stopped at dimwitted puppet. He’s a kiss ass general whose race is irrelevant. He’s more than qualified for that position.
Climbing the ranks in the military requires brown nosing, jostling, stealth, political acumen, not necessarily strength of work.
Isn’t this what we see EVERYWHERE? From school superintendents, to corporate leaders. From Federal administration secretaries, to space technology, local government.
We have in every sphere of endeavor people who climb the ladder knowing exactly whom to make happy and exactly what their position will be on every issue.
They are not selected because of their knowledge and experience. That is called work — and hired people do that.
The people brought to the top are the appointees selected by the new aristocracy, the ruling plutocrats. , in critical position to steer organization into the direction ruling aristocracy wants. Corporations from Google to Amazon use their corporate funds for political purposes. They and many others fund Antifa globally. It is present in every European country. What is the purpose? We do not know. But I am sure that the appointees are aware of the purpose and direction of various private foreign policy initiatives. Just as we are slowly becoming aware that private social media platforms are not subject to first amendment. And what is acceptable or not — has been very adroitly removed from any judicial test. Legal or not — the owner of media decides what is acceptable.
We have gone pretty far down the road of corporate-run state. Our democratic institutions are hollow shells, directed by the likes of our Secretary of Defense, fulfilling the well scripted missions.
I do not think it was a mistake. Another functionary was called on purpose — to feel if another line to Xi could be established.
That cannot work in China. Like it or not, Fenghe cannot be bypassed.
Inscrutable Chinese are inscrutable. Especially when you don’t even know who you’re supposed to be calling.
Ha, the Chinese are just having a little fun at US expense. They knew full well who the Secretary of Defense would need to speak with.
This reminds of the situation when they let Edward Snowden leave Hong Kong because the US got his middle name wrong on the official extradition request.
This can be no surprise. The Chinese and the Russians are playing this incompetent biden regime to the hilt-it is laughable.
(See McGovern’s article above!)